Railway car

ABSTRACT

A railway car of articulated design is provided with identical car sections each of which includes an upright longitudinally extending truss structure on which vehicles or other cargo may be suspended. Each of the car sections is provided at its longitudinally outer ends with a laterally extending stabilizing member connected to the truss, said stabilizing members being supported on car trucks in a conventional manner. The sections are connected together by articulating means also supported on a conventional truck. The upright truss structure of each section is the primary structural member and is of a relatively narrow width which includes suitable bracket means on which vehicles or other cargo may be suspended on opposite sides thereof. The truss structure includes an upper longitudinally extending beam to which hinged roof panels are connected, pivotal to open and closed positions. The bottom of the car also includes a horizontal panel which is provided to enclose the bottom of the car and includes longitudinal and transversely extending track members in which the lower ends of a flexible enclosure or curtain are slidingly disposed. The hinged roof panels and upper supporting end structures, on opposite ends of each section, are also provided with transverse tracks within which the upper ends of a flexible enclosure are slidingly disposed. The flexible doors or closures are thus easily moved to stored positions whereby the sides of the car may be completely opened for loading purposes or locked to protect the cargo.

[4 1 July 18, 1972 [54] RAILWAY CAR [72] lnventor: Wlmsm L. Prlngle, Grosse Pointe Shores,

Mich.

[73] Assignee: Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Aug. 21, 19 70 [21] Appl. No.: 65,831

[52] U.S. Cl. ..105/368 R, 105/367, 105/377, 105/378, 105/414 [51] Int. Cl. ..B60p3/06, 861d 19/00, 561d 17/00 [58] Field oISeareh ..105/368 R, 367, 377, 378, 414, 105/416 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,996,020 8/1961 Udstad ..105/367 1,400,140 12/1921 Callery 105/378 1,405,485 2/1922 Callery 105/378 1,428,448 9/ 1922 Peck 105/377 2,997,967 8/1961 Malapert ..105/377 2,123,362 7/1938 Isaacson.... 105/368 R 2,129,950 9/1938 Loney ....l05/368 R 3,159,112 12/1964 Tomlinson.... ..105/367 3,182,610 5/1965 Jones ....105/368 R 3,233,561 2/1966 Yelin [05/378 3,244,120 4/1966 Taylor 105/367 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 383,264 10/ 1964 Switzerland 1051368 R Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman Attorney-Hilmond O. Vogel ABSTRACT A railway car of articulated design is provided with identical car sections each of which includes an upright longitudinally extending truss structure on which vehicles or other cargo may be suspended. Each of the car sections is provided at its longitudinally outer ends with a laterally extending stabilizing member connected to the truss, said stabilizing members being supported on car trucks in a conventional manner. The sections are connected together by articulating means also supported on a conventional truck. The upright truss structure of each section is the primary structural member and is of a relatively narrow width which includes suitable bracket means on which vehicles or other cargo may be suspended on opposite sides thereof. The truss structure includes an upper longitudinally extending beam to which hinged roof panels are connected, pivotal to open and closed positions. The bottom of the car also includes a horizontal panel which is provided to enclose the bottom of the car and includes longitudinal and transversely extending track members in which the lower ends of a flexible enclosure or curtain are slidingly disposed. The hinged roof panels and upper supporting end structures, on opposite ends of each section, are also provided with transverse tracks within which the upper ends of a flexible enclosure are slidingly disposed. The flexible doors or closures are thus easily moved to stored positions whereby the sides of the car may be completely opened for loading purposes or locked to protect the cargo.

3Clalm5Drawingl 1gures Patented July 18, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY wu. umymlvgus W A 1'' Patented July 18, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR WILLIAM L/.PRIN LE ATT'Y Patented July 18, 1972 5 Shae ts-Sheet S A I M I H I A 4v INVENTOR WILLIAM L PRI RAILWAY CAR SUMMARY In applicant's copending patent application Ser. No. 65,461 filed Aug. 20,l970, an improved railway car is provided which consists of a pair of articulated sections of a railway car each of which includes a narrow upright truss structure suitably supported on transversely extending stabilizing members connected to conventional trucks in conventional fashion. The truss structure is of relatively narrow design, provides the primary structural support for each of the sections and includes longitudinal and upright beam members of narrow width on which cargo may be supported and suspended. It is a prime object of the present invention to provide an improved railway car embodying the above novel construction and including an improved end and side or enclosure construction which includes flexible enclosure sections or curtains movable to an open position wherein the sides of the car are completely exposed. The flexible enclosure may be stored in transversely extending tracks formed in a roof structure and in a lower horizontal panel structure so that complete access may be had to the upstanding truss structure.

Another object is to provide a railway car embodying the aforementioned structure which further includes hinged roof panels extending horizontally outwardly from the upright truss structure which also include tracks cooperating with the flexible enclosure or curtain to completely enclose the car and also facilitating the movement of the flexible enclosure to a stored position whereby the hinged panels may be opened so that access to the cargo carried on the truss structure is readily accomplished.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a railway car comprising a pair of articulated sections disclosing one of the sections of the car in an open position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the railway car disclosed in FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through a section of a railway car taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through a section of a railway car taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a railway car is generally designated by the reference character I0 and includes a pair of articulated sections II supported on trucks I2. The sections I I are suitably connected together by an articulated connection 13 referred to generally, the same being described in greater detail in the aforementioned patent application.

Each articulated section II is provided with a vertical truss structure 14 consisting of a plurality of upright beams 15 connected at their upper ends to an upper longitudinal beam I6 and at their lower ends to a lower longitudinal beam I7. The upright beams also are suitably connected to an intermediate beam 18. As shown in FIG. 4, and as more specifically described in the aforementioned patent application, each of the lower longitudinal beams 17 is suitably supported on a horizontally extending stabilizing plate 20, one of which is shown in FIG. 4. The stabilizing plate 20 includes a conventional bolster 2l and side bearing pads 22 and is connected to a truck bolster 23 by means of a conventional center plate 24. Side bearing members 25 are supported on the bolster 23 in conventional fashion for stabilizing the stabilizing plates 20. At opposite ends of the car there are also provided stub center sills 26 which are suitably connected to the stabilizing plates 20 and support conventional couplers 27.

The upright beams are the primary vertical supports of the vertical truss structure 14 but these are further reinforced by vertical supporting beams 28 on which upper brackets 29 are positioned. The brackets 29 are adapted to be connected with suitable fixtures 30 on which vehicles 3| or other cargo are adapted to be mounted so as to suspend the same on the truss structure I4. The fixtures 30 also are secured to the beams 28 by means of lower brackets 30' as best shown in FIG. 4. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, roof beams 32 extend laterally outwardly from opposite ends of the beam 16 and are rigidly secured thereto. The roof beams 32 are provided with laterally extending tracks or slots 33 and each roof beam 32 is provided with a short longitudinally extending portion 34 which includes a slot or track 35 in registry with the transverse slots 33.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the car also includes a lower horizontal covering panel generally designated at 41. The panel 41 does not serve the function, as in the conventional boxcar, of being the primary structural support since the truss structure 14 primarily serves this purpose. The panel 41 is principally provided as a lower enclosure to protect the interior of the car and includes a horizontal sheet 42 which is provided with longitudinally extending slots 43 extending on opposite sides of the car It). Beneath each of the slots 43 there is provided a longitudinal track member 44 suitably connected to the underneath surface of the horizontal sheet 42 which includes longitudinal slot tracks 45 in registry with the slots 43 and the sheet 42. At opposite ends of the lower covering panel 41 there are provided transverse track members 46, as best shown in FIG. 4, which are also provided with slot tracks 47 communicating with the tracks 45 and being in registry with transverse slots 48, shown in FIG. 3, in the horizontal sheet 42. As best shown in FIG. 4, the roof beams 32 may be suitably supported by stiffeners 49 which also extend and are suitably connected to the panel 41 for rigidifying the structure.

Folding enclosures 50 are disposed to slide in the slots 33, 35, 40, 45 and 47. The folding enclosures or doors 50 may be of a conventional type of flexible construction and may consist of fiberglass, plastic, or suitable flexible material which permits the enclosures to be compacted together in a stored position, as shown in FIG. 1, wherein the sides of the car are completely exposed so that full access may be had to the interior thereof. Enclosures of this type are quite conventional in building construction and may be in the closed position suitably interlocked by locking members 5I as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which of course can be of conventional construction and may be further secured by car seals (not shown). The type of flexible folding enclosures 50 also generally include at their upper and lower ends slide elements 52 which slide in the slot tracks above mentioned.

THE OPERATION As shown in FIGS. I and 2, the enclosures 50 are in a locked position wherein they completely enclose the sides and ends of the articulated sections II. The hinged roof sections also may be suitably locked by conventional locking mechanism 5I(not disclosed in detail). For the purpose of unloading the cargo which in this case includes vehicles, it is a simple matter to unlock the mechanism SI and to also suitably unlock the roof sections 36 so that they may be moved to an open position. After they are thus opened the enclosures 50 are placed in a folded, compacted, or stored position at the ends of the car within the area covered by the transverse slots 33 and 47 so that the sides of the car and the upper portions thereof are completely open to provide free access for loading or unloading. The vehicles 31 disclosed are then removed by suitable crane or other material-moving equipment. In the event the cars are to be loaded, the same procedure takes place and when the cars are fully and completely suspended on the truss structure, the hinged roof sections 36 are placed in a closed position and the flexible enclosures 50 are moved to the closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and suitably locked so that now the cargo is completely enclosed.

Thus it can be seen that by virtue of the truss-type of structure of the articulated sections and by the utilization of flexible storable type doors or enclosures a completely enclosed but lightweight car is provided which is ideally suited for the transportation of highly frangible types of equipment or cargo, which in this disclosure are vehicles. it is particularly important in this type of cargo that the car is fully enclosed to prevent theft, vandalism, or damage to the vehicles by the elements. The heavy side and end paneling of a railway boxcar is completely eliminated and yet the benefits of complete enclosure are provided. The primary structural element of the car is the truss structure which serves not only to act as the primary structural member but also provides means for directly supporting and suspending cargo therefrom, thus eliminating the necessity of a structural floor. Thus a lightweight yet strong and durable construction is provided which has the advantages of a conventional boxcar insofar as the enclosure is concerned and has lightweight structural features provided by the unique truss structure disclosed and which is more fully described in the aforementioned patent application.

What is claimed is:

l. A railway car comprising:

a longitudinally extending upright truss structure including upper and lower longitudinally extending beams and vertical beam members connected thereto,

said truss structure having a relatively narrow width,

transversely extending stabilizing members connected to said truss structure adjacent said lower beam and projecting laterally outwardly with respect thereto,

said stabilizing members being adapted to support and stabilize said structure on wheel trucks,

means on said truss structure for securing cargo directly thereon,

an enclosure for said car including a lower panel carried by said truss structure and extending substantially the length and width of said car,

a roof carried by said truss structure substantially coextensive with said lower panel,

a flexible vertical wall coextensive with said panel and roof and slidably connected thereto, said wall having flexible sections movable to an out-of-the-way position to provide access to cargo carried by said truss structure,

said roof comprising roof sections movable to an open position whereby access is provided to cargo suspended directly on said truss structure,

said lower panel having longitudinal and lateral guideways along peripheral edges thereof,

said roof sections having upper guideways,

said truss structure including at longitudinally opposite ends thereof horizontal members projecting laterally outwardly from said upper beam and having lower surfaces extending transversely of said truss structure and including upper guideways adapted to register with said upper guideways of said roof sections during a closed position of said roof sections, and

said flexible wall sections having slide means at upper and lower ends thereof slidably disposed in said guideways.

2. The invention in accordance with claim I,

said guideways comprising slots.

3. The invention in accordance with claim I,

said roof section being hingedly connected to laterally spaced opposite sides of said upper beam.

l IF II longitudinal peripheral 

1. A railway car comprising: a longitudinally extending upright truss structure including upper and lower longitudinally extending beams and vertical beam members connected thereto, said truss structure having a relatively narrow width, transversely extending stabilizing members connected to said truss structure adjacent said lower beam and projecting laterally outwardly with respect thereto, said stAbilizing members being adapted to support and stabilize said structure on wheel trucks, means on said truss structure for securing cargo directly thereon, an enclosure for said car including a lower panel carried by said truss structure and extending substantially the length and width of said car, a roof carried by said truss structure substantially coextensive with said lower panel, a flexible vertical wall coextensive with said panel and roof and slidably connected thereto, said wall having flexible sections movable to an out-of-the-way position to provide access to cargo carried by said truss structure, said roof comprising roof sections movable to an open position whereby access is provided to cargo suspended directly on said truss structure, said lower panel having longitudinal and lateral guideways along peripheral edges thereof, said roof sections having upper longitudinal peripheral guideways, said truss structure including at longitudinally opposite ends thereof horizontal members projecting laterally outwardly from said upper beam and having lower surfaces extending transversely of said truss structure and including upper guideways adapted to register with said upper guideways of said roof sections during a closed position of said roof sections, and said flexible wall sections having slide means at upper and lower ends thereof slidably disposed in said guideways.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said guideways comprising slots.
 3. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said roof section being hingedly connected to laterally spaced opposite sides of said upper beam. 